Washington Township grants $100 million in contracts to diverse suppliers

Washington Township schools have announced that their Supplier Diversity Program has awarded more than $100 million to diverse suppliers to make improvements to the district schools. “Our supplier diversity program reinforces our commitment to being a truly inclusive school district,” Superintendent Dr. Nikki Woodson said in a press release. Through the 2016 and 2020 referendums, $470 million was allocated to the township for new constructions, renovations and environmental upgrades. The Supplier Diversity Program was launched in 2016 and focuses on firms owned by veterans, minorities, women and the physically challenged. “We want to be a district that has equity in the classroom, so why not have equity in the suppliers of these projects?” said Bill Turner, secretary of the Washington Township School Board. The projects include two new elementary schools, one new middle school, an early learning center, and the Paul Logan Field House. Renovations to improve school safety and environmental improvements were also a part of the allocated funds. “(The suppliers) have built and renovated these schools to make them better places to learn,” Turner said. The impact extends beyond the construction projects. According to Turner, the contracts also prioritize companies in the community to put some of the...